Dispenser for napkins and like articles



wnmm

P. H. HORWITT DISPENSER FOR NAPKINS AND LIKE ARTICLES ,F iled July 21,1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -INVENTOR Paul 15! 170mm?! mm, M wm. r WW mm P. H; HORWITT v DISPENSER FOR NAPKINS AND LIKE ARTICLES Filed July 21. 1923 iish ets-sheet 2 Watented Uni. id, Wfld.

1 H W ll E wi ful. it...

JIEAIUJL H. HORWI'IT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'JIO INDEPENDENT PAPER MILLS INC, F JBROOKIJYN, NEW- YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DISPENSER FOR NAPKJINS AND LIKE AR'JHIZG'L1 Application filed July 21, 1923. Serial No. 652,941.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL H. Honwrr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Dispensers for Napkins and like Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement :0 in dispensers for paper napkins and similar articles. Heretofore as 1 am aware, various forms of dispenser for napkins, towels and like articles made of paper and similar material have been employed, the dispensers being so constructed and the napkins, towels or other articles being so bundled and placed in the dispenser as to provide for the user taking but one napkin or towel at a time in order, as will be understood, to effect economy in the use of the articles. In some types of dispensers of this class, for example, the construction is such as to receive the bundle of napkins superimposed in a pile in which alternate napkins are placed transversely, that is crosswise and maintained in position by a retainer through which the transversely placed articles may be withdrawn one at a time. In other types of these containers the napkins or other articles have been placed in a superimposed pile with the end portion of either the uppermost or the lowermost article so maintained in position that it may be readily grasped and the article withdrawn endwise from the pile. As another example, dispensers of this type have been made to receive a bundle of napkins or towels so folded as to have a portion of the outermost article extend through an aperture in the dispenser, while the napkins or towels in this instance are so interlapped that by withdrawingthe outermost article a portion of the next succeeding article is also withdrawn through the aperture in the dispenser. In no instance, however, to which my attention has been directed has there ever been provided a napkin, towel or other similar article so folded that when grasped and raised, either being taken from a pile or from a dispenser, the article is unfolded or open for use. Nor so far as I am aware has any provision heretofore been made for a dispenser for containing articles folded as hereinbefore indicated and in assisting the unfolding of the article when being withdrawn or taken from the assist the unfolding or opening of the same in withdrawing them from the dispenser one at a time as. will be hereinafter more particularly described.

In-the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a type of dispenser madein accordance with my present invention and showing the manner in which a napkin or other article as taken therefrom is unfolded.

Fig. 2 is a plan of a blank from which a napkin or other article adapted for use in the dispenser is made.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the nap kin or other article as folded.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a bundle of napkins or towels.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation of the dispenser as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of theretainer frame as used in the form of dispenser shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

Fig. 7 is a partial side elevation of another form of dispenser.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88, Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the retainer member used in the form ofthe invention as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 10 is an end elevation of another form of dispenser, and

Fig. 11 is a plan of the retainer frame employed in the form of the dispenser shown in Fig. 10.

The napkin or other article adapted for use with the dispenser made in accordance with this invention is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. By reference to these'figures and particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the napkin or other article of paper or other material to be used in the dispenser may be folded from a sheet of any predetermined size. This sheet is folded along predetermined substantially parallel lines indicated at and 11, 12 and 13, 14 and 15 and 16 and 17. Thelines 10 and 11 are substantial continuations of each otheras are the hues 12 and 13, 'the'lines '14 and '15 and the lines 16 and 17. In the blank .as, indicated in Fig.2, there is also a centrally disposed fold line 18 at right angles to the fold lines hereinbefore described and to which reference .will be hereinafter made. When the sheet is provided with these fold lines it is divided into-a plurality of sections indicated at 19 and 20, 21 and 22, 23 and 24, and 26 and 27 and 28. As illustrated the sections are folded in one direction along the lines 10 and 11 so that the o bverse faces of the sections 19, 20, 21

p and 22 come together; the sections are then folded'in the reverse direction along the lines 12 and 13 so that the reverse faces of sections 21 and 22 are juxtaposed to the reverse faces of the sections23 and 24 respectively. Then'again the sections are folded in the other direction alongthe lines 14 and '15 so that the obverse faces of sections 23 and 24 are juxtaposed to the obverse faces of sections 25 and 26, and then the fold along the lines 16 .and 17 is again made" in' an vopposite direction so that the reverse faces of the sections: 27 and 28 lie against the reverse faces respectively of the sections 25 and 26. a When the sheet is thus folded itforms a relatively long rectangular article which is'then folded transversely along the fold lines indicated at 18 the blank to assume the form= of the napkin or towel or' other article as illustrated'in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

It will be noted that in thus folding the 'sheet to form a napkin, towel or other w the invention it is not necessary to employ the non-coextensive sections at'both ends of the blank, as but one of them will answerall intents and purposes in some instances. The advantage, however, in employing the non-coextensive sections at both ends of the blank is that thereby it is immaterial in which diree'tionthe parts are folded on the fold line. 18 because in either event, that 1s whether folded in one direction or the other there will be an outer non-coextensive section, the edge of which may be grasped in taking the nap-kin or other article for use.

This article, as hereinbefore described,

whether a towel, napkin or some other 1' ed and bundled as hereinbefore described are placed in a suitable dispenser from which they may be withdrawn for use. This dispenser may assume one of any number of constructions. 'For example, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, the dispenser may comprise a body member having oppositely disposed ends 31 and 32 and intermediate side members 33 and 34, together with a bottom or. support 35 and suitable feet 36 and 37. As illustrated in this form of the invention the side members 33. and 34 are correspondingly recessed as indicated at 38 and 39 to facilitate the withdrawal of the contents from the container. As will be understood the container is open at the top and may be made of glass, metal'or other similar and suitable material in the configuration described or in any other suitable form adapted to serve the purposes of the invention. In this form of dispenser and as illustrated in these figures of the drawing I employ a retainer frame comprising rolls 40 and 41 and cross bars 42 and 43 secured at their ends to the extremities of the rolls by pivot screws 44 and 45 or otherwise. This retainer frame is made to conform to the inside dimensions of the dispenser, that is to say the distance between the outside edges of the rolls 40 and 41 is substantially the width of the dispenser, and the distance between the outer faces of the cross bars 42 and 43 is substantially the inside length of the dispenser so that the retainer frame may be easily removed-and replaced in the dispenser after the bundle of napkins or towels has been placed therein to normally retain the superimposed articles comprising the bundle'in position. In so doing, as will be understood, the .rolls 40 and 41 bear against the long folded edges of the articles and the free edge of the outermost section or fold as indicated at 46 of the uppermost article is entirely free inasmuch as the cross bars 42 and 43 are preferably curved so as to leave this edge of the section free even at the ends thereof. It will be understood that the dispenser is made with predetermined inside dimensions so as to receive a bundle or bundles of napkins or other articles folded to a predetermined size. In practice the preferred size of the folded article is substantially 3 2:? inches, and the inside dimensionsof the dispenser are the same or slightly in excess of these dimensions. It will furthermore be understood that when the outer penser is grasped and removed for use the of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 5 and article will be unfolded and by withdrawing the article from beneath the rolls 40 and 41 the unfolding or opening of the article is enhanced inasmuch as naturally due to the tension placed on the outermost non-coextensive section the edges of this and the adjacent section'are first withdrawn from beneath the roll 40 and then from beneath the roll 41 and this action is substantially continued, withdrawing portions of the article first from one side and then the other until.

it is completely removed from the dispenser. The retainer frame as shown in the form 6 is an integral structure entirely removable from and replaceable in the body of the dis penser. In some instances, however, it may be advisable to provide the dispenser with a retainer member or members which are so associated therewith as to perform their function of normally maintaining the superimposed articles in position and adapted to be shifted to an exterior position to permit the dispenser to be refilled readily. In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, it will be seen that to this end the side members of the dispenser adjacent the ends thereof may be provided with slots 47 and independent retainer rods 48 employed. Each of these retainer rods is adapted to fit within the dispenser and to extend longitudinally thereof. Adjacent the ends of each of these retainer rods the same is fitted with a pin 49 having a ball or.round head 50, the pins being secured in the rod in any desired manner. Each pin 49 is passed through a slot 47 and then secured in therod. In this form of the invention the side members at the upper portions thereof are each provided with flanges 51, each flange having a retaining recess 52 into which, as shown in Fig. 8, an end portion of the corresponding retainer rod may be placed and supported when, for example, it is desired to place a new bundle of napkins or other articles in the dispenser, it being understood furthermore that there is one of these rods 48 on each side of the dispenser.

As illustrated in Figs. 10 and 1.1 a somewhat similar construction may be employed in which an end of the dispenser is provided with slots 53 and a retainer member employed which comprises rods 54 and 55 I with an end or cross piece 56 connecting them at corresponding ends, while the oppo- Y site ends are fitted with pins 57 having ball or round heads 58. This retainer member is also adapted to fit within the dispenser and the pins 57 pass through the slots 53 and then to be secured in any suitable mannor in the corresponding adjacent ends of the rods. In this form of the invention the slotted end of the dispenser is provided with a flange 59 having a retaining recess 60 therein into which the ends of the rods 54 and 55 may rest when the retainer n'iember is swung to a position exterior of the dispenser to enable the user to refill the dispenser by placing therein a new bundle of napkins, towels or similar articles.

From the foregoing description it will now be understood that the various forms of dispensers illustrated and described are merely illustrative of my invention inasmuch as the dispenser made in aureordance therewith may be made in any suitable manner to include a retainer device of any construction adapted to cooperaie with the uppermost or outermost napkin, towel or other article placed in a superimposed bundle in the dispenser to assist in the selfqiening or unfolding of the napkin or towel when withdrawn from the dispenser. the napkins, towels or other articles for this purpose being folded in the manner hereinbefore described, It will also now be apparent that the dispenser may be made in a predetermined. and uniform size and thus adapted to receive sheets of any desired original size folded and superimposed in bundles of pre- I determined numbers to be placed in and dispensed from the dispenser. It will furthermore be understood that while the invention as hereinbefore shown and described relates particularly to a dispenser from which napkins, towels or other articles are taken from the top thereof that the dispenser may be placed in any suitable position and the retaining member provided with resilient or other means for normally maintaining the same in position in the dispenser to cooperate with the articles therein when such a construction is necessary or desirable.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for dispensing paper napkins, towels and like articles, a. body member adapted to receive a package of superimposed articles each folded from a sheet of material into a plurality of substantially c0- extensive centrally disposed sections, and an end section which is outermost and noncoextensive with the other sections, and members extending interiorly along opposite sides of the body member and adapted normally to rest upon the oppositely folded edge portions of the said folded articles, the space between the said members being entirely open within the body member leaving the edge of the non-coextensive section of theoutermost folded article entirely free to be grasped for removing the same.

2." In a device for dispensing paper napkins, towels and the like, a rectangular receptacle open at one end and adapted to receive a package of superimposed articles each folded from a sheet of material in oppositely disposed'directions into a plurality the entire space open between the said rolls to make the free edge of the non-coextensive section of the outermost article entirely free to be grasped for the removal of the same.

3. In a device for dispensing paper nap- ,kins, towels and like articles, a receptacle open at one end and adapted to receive a package of superimposed articles each folded from a sheet of material in oppositely disposed directions" into a plurality of substantially coextensive centrally disposed sections and an endsection which is outermost and non-coextensive with the other sections, rolls fitting within the said receptacle and extending from end to end thereof and adapted to bear against the oppositely disposed folded edge portions of the said articles, the entire space between the said rolls being open to make the edge of the said non-coextensive section of the outermost article entirely free to be grasped for to the exterior of the receptacle, and means for supporting the said rolls when outside of the receptacle.

.4. In a device for dispensing paper napkins, towels and like articles, a receptacle open at one end and adapted to receive a package of superimposed articles each folded from a sheet of material in op ositely disposed directions -into a plurality of substantially coextensive centrally disposed sections and an end section which is outermost and non-coextensive with the other sections, rolls fitting within the said receptacle and extending from end to end thereof and adapted to bear against the oppositely disposedv folded edge portions of the said articles, the entirespacc between the said rolls being open to make the edge I of the said non-coextensive section of the outermost article entirely free to be grasped for the removal of the said outermost article, the walls of the said receptacle being provided with slots, pins connected to the said rolls and extending through the said slots, and a su port on the walls of the said receptacle or receiving each roll when the roll is removed therefrom. I

Signed by me this 20th day of July, 1923.

PAUL H. HORWITT. 

